Wiltshire Council

Commissioning Service Manager

The closing date is 07 October 2025

Job summary

Salary: £64,844 - £68,987 per annum

Hours per week: 37 hours

Interview date: To be confirmed following shortlisting

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Commissioning - Enhancing Outcomes

We have a rare opportunity for an outstanding leader to join our dedicated Commissioning Team as a Service Manager.

Our Commissioning Service is responsible for developing a strategic approach to commissioning accommodation and community-based support for children, young people and adults in Wiltshire. With a focus on a "whole-life pathway," the service is dedicated to supporting Wiltshire residents continuously throughout their lives.

In this role, you will be responsible for the operational management of a specialist service, overseeing day-to-day performance in collaboration with the relevant Head of Service. As a subject matter expert, you will lead the identification, development, and implementation of effective commissioning strategies aimed at enhancing service delivery.

Additionally, you will develop and implement co-production initiatives and other collaborative efforts with partners, such as health services, to achieve the highest levels of public satisfaction.

Main duties of the job

You will ensure that Team Managers are delivering front-line services efficiently and effectively, maintaining high standards of performance across their teams.

A team manager responsible for a small team of specialist and professional staff in a discrete service or a large team of operational staff within the same service area.

Will have responsibility for management of a direct budget for staff resources.

The successful candidate will be expected to lead strategically within a politically diverse organisation, navigating the complex and often competing demands of public service delivery with confidence and clarity.

Will report to a L3 head of service or a director.

There may be more than one postholder at this level within the same functional or service area but each within a defined specialism.

Our ideal candidate will hold a degree in a relevant subject or possess extensive experience in evidence-based commissioning and staff management.

Significant expertise in Adults Commissioning, including working with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and other regulatory bodies alongside a deep understanding of relevant legislation, such as the Care Act will be essential.

About us

Why us?

Wiltshire Council is a friendly, welcoming place to work, with a 'One Council' ethos. That's why we focus on getting the things that matter to our people right.

Please download and read the role description and person specification carefully before you apply as well as Our Identity.

The council is committed to creating an environment of positive working relationships where everyone feels engaged, supported and able to thrive. Our Identity is a framework which sets out how we are all expected to lead, work and act to deliver our services. We will not tolerate discrimination, bullying or harassment of any kind. Everyone is expected to promote a culture of inclusion, dignity, trust and respect which is underpinned by our vision and Our Identity framework.

For more details, contact Victoria Bayley, Head of Adults Commissioning, at Victoria.Bayley@wiltshire.gov.uk, or call 01225 713996.

This role may be subject to certain successful security checks; please see the role description for more information.

Details

Date posted

23 September 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£64,844 to £68,987 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

F0041-5336

Job locations

County Hall

Bythesea Rd

Trowbridge

Wiltshire

BA14 8JN


Job description

Job responsibilities

This post is the Service Manager for Adults Commissioning with a remit of either operational, strategic or commercial.

Strategic commissioning covers commissioning strategies, data, demand forecasting, recommissioning, relationship management, market development and sustainability, the voluntary sector and transformation.

Operational commissioning covers quality assurance, contract management, performance management, risk management and safeguarding.

Commercial covers the brokerage service, including the use of bench marking tools such as CareCubed or similar, and cost negotiation, annual inflationary uplifts, hospital flow, escalations, oversight of matching people and oversight of issues contract agreements such as CoSA/ToSA.

The service manager is responsible for implementing the strategic direction set by the Director of Commissioning and Head of Adults Commissioning.

Supporting the Head of Service and Director the postholder will ensure that evidenced based commissioning is embedded. They will ensure that there is a robust quality assurance framework in place and that at every opportunity we provide value for money.

The postholder will maintain a focus on meeting the specific needs of the person and ensuring their voice is reflected in the outcomes.

As part of the extended senior management team of the Commissioning directorate the post holder will provide support to ensure that services are delivered to the highest standards, providing robust quality assurance, compliance with all legal and statutory requirements and within an effective and efficient budgetary framework.

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

Undertake operational management of a specialist service, area and/or workstream which has impact across the Council managing day to day performance in conjunction with the relevant head of service.

Service expert with responsibility for leading the identification, development and delivery of effective commissioning strategies for improving service delivery.

Service lead on the continuous development of performance management systems to improve quality and delivery within the strategic, operational and commercial elements of commissioning.

Analysing performance data across the service and providers to inform the strategic direction and evidenced based decision making. Performance will be monitored through POGs and POBs and the postholder will have responsibility for providing and presenting this data, providing recommendations on actions to improve performance.

Ensuring the performance of Team Managers delivery of front line services within their teams is effective and efficient, driving a high performance culture.

Support and drive innovation and change across the service and wider partnership.

Service lead for the recruitment and retention internally and with our providers, providing support to over 7000 people, developing strategies and initiatives to support and build service capacity.

Supporting the Head of Service to ensure that services are CQC inspection ready, working with the inspection leads to understand, prepare for and develop action plans related to inspections.

Develop and deliver co-production and other initiatives with partners such as health to ensure the highest levels of public satisfaction for the service, to continue to transform the service to meet the aspirations of customers and in accordance with the requirements of the law and external regulation.

Provide leadership across the partnership (including both internal and external partners), demonstrating a breadth of knowledge and skills and willingness to step outside of specialisms.

Engage with customers, carers, the wider community, with staff in the service, the council and with other organisations to promote the provision of high quality opportunities and services which will promote well-being and independence.

Work closely with the senior management team across the directorate including operational colleagues to ensure that there is alignment across the directorate in terms of a focus on providing and promoting choice, preventing and delaying statutory services and value for money.

Support the Head of Service with activities within joint programmes with the ICS and other partner agencies, towards integrated approaches to commissioning and joint funded pathways, ensuring effective partnership working to provide delivery of health and social care.

Deputising for the Head of Service, where necessary and Supporting SMT and Service Managers in terms of providing cover across the directorate during periods of absence.

Maintaining positive working relationships with other service managers across the organisation to maintain a one council approach.

Developing strategies to realise savings and service improvements within the service using performance information and providing evidence based challenge to drive improvements. Effectively managing budgets and achieving efficiencies through transformation work.

Working with other service managers, lead talent management and succession planning across the directorate.

Undertaking specialist projects which impact on the whole of commissioning across adults and children.

Develop, embed and review Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the team, and take responsibility for delivering good performance and providing a high-quality service.

Identify and manage risks, ensuring that significant risks are escalated as appropriate.

Provide technical support and expertise to deliver the service priorities identified in the corporate business plan and people strategy. Where applicable lead on projects to deliver actions required.

Job description

Job responsibilities

This post is the Service Manager for Adults Commissioning with a remit of either operational, strategic or commercial.

Strategic commissioning covers commissioning strategies, data, demand forecasting, recommissioning, relationship management, market development and sustainability, the voluntary sector and transformation.

Operational commissioning covers quality assurance, contract management, performance management, risk management and safeguarding.

Commercial covers the brokerage service, including the use of bench marking tools such as CareCubed or similar, and cost negotiation, annual inflationary uplifts, hospital flow, escalations, oversight of matching people and oversight of issues contract agreements such as CoSA/ToSA.

The service manager is responsible for implementing the strategic direction set by the Director of Commissioning and Head of Adults Commissioning.

Supporting the Head of Service and Director the postholder will ensure that evidenced based commissioning is embedded. They will ensure that there is a robust quality assurance framework in place and that at every opportunity we provide value for money.

The postholder will maintain a focus on meeting the specific needs of the person and ensuring their voice is reflected in the outcomes.

As part of the extended senior management team of the Commissioning directorate the post holder will provide support to ensure that services are delivered to the highest standards, providing robust quality assurance, compliance with all legal and statutory requirements and within an effective and efficient budgetary framework.

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

Undertake operational management of a specialist service, area and/or workstream which has impact across the Council managing day to day performance in conjunction with the relevant head of service.

Service expert with responsibility for leading the identification, development and delivery of effective commissioning strategies for improving service delivery.

Service lead on the continuous development of performance management systems to improve quality and delivery within the strategic, operational and commercial elements of commissioning.

Analysing performance data across the service and providers to inform the strategic direction and evidenced based decision making. Performance will be monitored through POGs and POBs and the postholder will have responsibility for providing and presenting this data, providing recommendations on actions to improve performance.

Ensuring the performance of Team Managers delivery of front line services within their teams is effective and efficient, driving a high performance culture.

Support and drive innovation and change across the service and wider partnership.

Service lead for the recruitment and retention internally and with our providers, providing support to over 7000 people, developing strategies and initiatives to support and build service capacity.

Supporting the Head of Service to ensure that services are CQC inspection ready, working with the inspection leads to understand, prepare for and develop action plans related to inspections.

Develop and deliver co-production and other initiatives with partners such as health to ensure the highest levels of public satisfaction for the service, to continue to transform the service to meet the aspirations of customers and in accordance with the requirements of the law and external regulation.

Provide leadership across the partnership (including both internal and external partners), demonstrating a breadth of knowledge and skills and willingness to step outside of specialisms.

Engage with customers, carers, the wider community, with staff in the service, the council and with other organisations to promote the provision of high quality opportunities and services which will promote well-being and independence.

Work closely with the senior management team across the directorate including operational colleagues to ensure that there is alignment across the directorate in terms of a focus on providing and promoting choice, preventing and delaying statutory services and value for money.

Support the Head of Service with activities within joint programmes with the ICS and other partner agencies, towards integrated approaches to commissioning and joint funded pathways, ensuring effective partnership working to provide delivery of health and social care.

Deputising for the Head of Service, where necessary and Supporting SMT and Service Managers in terms of providing cover across the directorate during periods of absence.

Maintaining positive working relationships with other service managers across the organisation to maintain a one council approach.

Developing strategies to realise savings and service improvements within the service using performance information and providing evidence based challenge to drive improvements. Effectively managing budgets and achieving efficiencies through transformation work.

Working with other service managers, lead talent management and succession planning across the directorate.

Undertaking specialist projects which impact on the whole of commissioning across adults and children.

Develop, embed and review Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the team, and take responsibility for delivering good performance and providing a high-quality service.

Identify and manage risks, ensuring that significant risks are escalated as appropriate.

Provide technical support and expertise to deliver the service priorities identified in the corporate business plan and people strategy. Where applicable lead on projects to deliver actions required.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience of Adults Commissioning and experience in working with CQC and other relevant regulatory bodies.
  • Expert knowledge of relevant Adults commissioning legislation such as The Care Act.
  • Experience of working in a political and sensitive political environment with councillors and supporting the Head of Service with managing challenges and queries that come into the
  • service.
  • An ability to lead effectively at a strategic level in a politically diverse organisation, managing the conflicting pressures of public demand, media interest, member priorities and budget
  • constraints.
  • Experience of managing staff through change and forming high-quality working relationships at all levels including as an interface with elected members.
  • Experience of leading effective partnership working across health, social care and the voluntary sector.
  • Significant budget management with the ability to find innovative solutions to realise savings and service improvements within the service.
  • Able to demonstrate highly specialised knowledge, skills and experience in Adults Commissioning.
  • Experience of managing and resolving conflict, effectively handling challenging and complex situations.
  • Significant evidence of operating at a strategic level delivering qualitative and focused outputs.
  • Significant experience of analysing performance data and making recommendations on changes to policies, processes and service design.
  • Well-developed leadership, planning and organisational skills and ability to absorb and understand large volumes of new information at pace, distil this information and present it clearly and succinctly to senior managers and members.
  • A genuine interest and commitment to leading and improving public services in Wiltshire.
  • Ability to source specialist knowledge from internal and external experts to drive fulfilment of objectives.
  • Proven ability to challenge existing practice and improve performance.
  • Evidence of designing, developing and implementing solutions to improve service delivery that support the organisations visions, goals and core values.
  • Resilience and tenacity to gain agreement and follow through on delivery of plans with the ability to be collaborative and respectful, but able to challenge constructively to ensure successful outcomes.
  • Evidence of developing complex strategies to improve service delivery.
  • Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding in operational teams and managing safeguarding issues.
  • Evidence of continued professional development.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree in a relevant subject or/and extensive experience of evidenced based commissioning and managing staff in a large and diverse organisation.
  • Level 7 in leadership and management or significant management experience.

Desirable

  • PLEASE SEE ROLE DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience of Adults Commissioning and experience in working with CQC and other relevant regulatory bodies.
  • Expert knowledge of relevant Adults commissioning legislation such as The Care Act.
  • Experience of working in a political and sensitive political environment with councillors and supporting the Head of Service with managing challenges and queries that come into the
  • service.
  • An ability to lead effectively at a strategic level in a politically diverse organisation, managing the conflicting pressures of public demand, media interest, member priorities and budget
  • constraints.
  • Experience of managing staff through change and forming high-quality working relationships at all levels including as an interface with elected members.
  • Experience of leading effective partnership working across health, social care and the voluntary sector.
  • Significant budget management with the ability to find innovative solutions to realise savings and service improvements within the service.
  • Able to demonstrate highly specialised knowledge, skills and experience in Adults Commissioning.
  • Experience of managing and resolving conflict, effectively handling challenging and complex situations.
  • Significant evidence of operating at a strategic level delivering qualitative and focused outputs.
  • Significant experience of analysing performance data and making recommendations on changes to policies, processes and service design.
  • Well-developed leadership, planning and organisational skills and ability to absorb and understand large volumes of new information at pace, distil this information and present it clearly and succinctly to senior managers and members.
  • A genuine interest and commitment to leading and improving public services in Wiltshire.
  • Ability to source specialist knowledge from internal and external experts to drive fulfilment of objectives.
  • Proven ability to challenge existing practice and improve performance.
  • Evidence of designing, developing and implementing solutions to improve service delivery that support the organisations visions, goals and core values.
  • Resilience and tenacity to gain agreement and follow through on delivery of plans with the ability to be collaborative and respectful, but able to challenge constructively to ensure successful outcomes.
  • Evidence of developing complex strategies to improve service delivery.
  • Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding in operational teams and managing safeguarding issues.
  • Evidence of continued professional development.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree in a relevant subject or/and extensive experience of evidenced based commissioning and managing staff in a large and diverse organisation.
  • Level 7 in leadership and management or significant management experience.

Desirable

  • PLEASE SEE ROLE DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION

Employer details

Employer name

Wiltshire Council

Address

County Hall

Bythesea Rd

Trowbridge

Wiltshire

BA14 8JN


Employer's website

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Wiltshire Council

Address

County Hall

Bythesea Rd

Trowbridge

Wiltshire

BA14 8JN


Employer's website

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Head of Adults Commissioning

Victoria Bayley

Victoria.Bayley@wiltshire.gov.uk

01225713996

Details

Date posted

23 September 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£64,844 to £68,987 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

F0041-5336

Job locations

County Hall

Bythesea Rd

Trowbridge

Wiltshire

BA14 8JN


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